Summary of Mexican Judicial Reform -- link

A discussion on another forum led me to search for some specific, current information on Mexico's 2008 judicial reforms. I found an excellent English language summary: Judicial Reform in Mexico, Changes & Challenges in the Justice Sector, by David Shirk, of the Trans-Border Institute,Joan B. Kroc School of Peace Studies, University of San Diego.

The link to the PDF file is Here (or copy this URL): http://catcher.sandiego.edu/items/peacestudies/Shirk-Justice%20Reform%20in%20Mexico.pdf

The article is fairly long, but gives a good summary of the history of Mexico's judicial system, the specifics of the 2008 reforms, and some initial information on how they're being implemented, and clarifies some common misconceptions about Mexico's judicial system. The full reform is to be implemented by 2016, but several states have not even begun the process.

In Yucatán, where I live, they have begun to implement some of the reforms -- for example, oral proceedings have been instituted in in two municipios, some new mediation courts/centers have been established, and there has been some change in how crimes are classified, and for which crimes the accused can be freed on bail (fianza). I'd be interested in hearing what's happening in other states...